A handful of wrestlers with Sand Springs ties competed on the Oklahoma Schoolboy Wrestling teams recently in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Oklahoma had enough quality athletes to send two full rosters to the USA Wrestling National Dual Tournament.

The Oklahoma Blue team made it to the Freestyle finals for the first time since 2006, falling 39-33 to Pennsylvania. Oklahoma Red placed 14th out of 39 teams from 29 states.

Oklahoma Red took third place in Greco-Roman action while Oklahoma Blue placed eighth, marking the first time both teams have qualified for the Gold/Silver Pool. 28 states sent 38 teams to the tournament.

Mason Harris went 7-1 in the heavyweight slot for the Oklahoma Blue Freestyle team with one pin, two technical falls, three decisions, and one forfeit. He defeated Minnesota State Champion Elias Ruiz 10-0, Washington State Champion Daniel Matagi 10-0, and Pennsylvania State Champion Dominick Curci 5-0. Harris was 2-5 for the Red Greco team, beating Wisconsin State Champion Griffin Empey 12-4.

Mittasch went 4-1 at 87 pounds in Freestyle with three tech falls and a decision. He defeated Utah State Champion Brayden Robison 10-0, and Indiana State Champion Jake Hockaday 20-9. Mittasch was 2-3 in Greco. He pinned Hockaday and defeated Kansas State Champion Dillon Cooper 14-3.

White went 5-4 at 114 and 119 pounds in Freestyle with a pin, a tech fall, a decision, and a forfeit. He defeated Wisconsin State Champion Royce Nilo 8-6, Florida State Champion Kamdon Harrison 12-7, and pinned Virginia State Champion Elijah Blevins. White was 3-5 in Greco. He defeated New York State Champion Andrew Caudill and pinned Texas State Champion Jimmy Benne.

Flores went 5-4 at 125 pounds in Freestyle with three tech falls and two decisions. He defeated Virginia State Champion Macon Ayers 14-4, Utah State Champion Hixon Canto 12-4, and Kansas State Champion Jaime Villanueva 18-6. Flores was 4-5 in Greco and pinned Colorado State Champion Carson Hawkins.

Pennsylvania has historically been a powerhouse at the Schoolboy level, but has dropped off in recent years. This was their first finals appearance in Freestyle since 2014 and in Greco since 2015. They won their fifth Freestyle title in nine finals appearances, and their sixth Greco title in nine appearances. This was their third time to sweep both styles in the same year.

Tulsa hosted the inaugural Schoolgirl Freestyle Duals and seven states competed. Wisconsin went 6-0 for the title. Oklahoma went 1-5 for 7th place in a tournament with lots of parity and circular losses. They tied Runner-Up Illinois 26-26 and only lost on criteria, then beat 5th Place finisher Minnesota 35-21.

Team Oklahoma got off to a fast start against Team Georgia Blue in the first round of the Junior Greco-Roman Dual Nationals Wednesday morning, building up a massive lead before the wrestling even started.

Jet Taylor, Jacob Butler, and Jaxen Gilmore received forfeits for 126 to 138. Tuttle's Brik Filippo wasted no time in putting points on the board with a 10-0 tech fall over Khyree Alexander, then Sand Springs's Payton Scott took down Dustin Berry 10-0 in thirty seconds flat. Ezequiel Rubio pinned Cole White in a quick twenty then Nick Mahan teched Chandler Miele 13-2.

Bear Hughes continued the winning streak with an 11-0 tech over Devyn Villafane. Zach Marcheselli received a forfeit, Tanner Hawkins picked up a 16-6 tech fall over Richard Walker, then Trenton Lieutance, Alex Fields, and Wyatt Adams all received forfeits. Alec McDoulett teched Brandon Foster 11-0 and Westmoore's Dalton Duffield wrapped things up with a 12-0 tech of Alex Cain for a final score of 68-2 with no matches lost.

Up next for Oklahoma is Team Pennsylvania who solidly defeated Team Kansas Red 49-12 in round one.

Sand Springs has a long and impressive history when it comes to wrestling, but 2016 is well on its way to becoming one of the best years yet. Dual State Runners-Up, eleven State Qualifiers, six Regional Champions, one State Champion, and that was just during the school year.

As the saying goes, "Summer wrestling makes Winter Champions." Since the school year ended, the Sandites haven't even slowed down. Charles Page senior Daton Fix won a Freestyle National Championship and is headed to the World Championships in France this August. Senior Jack Karstetter came in Runner-Up in Greco-Roman at Nationals and is headed to the Pan-Ams in Peru in July. But it's not just the upperclassmen building up their resumes. Clyde Boyd Middle School eighth-grader Carter Young is working hard on the national scene as well.

After winning the OKUSA Youth Wrestling League State Championship, the Junior High Allstate Wrestling Championship, the OKUSA Freestyle and Greco Roman State Championships, and the Southern Plains Regional Championships in both Greco and Freestyle, Young most recently found himself in Indianapolis, Indiana for the Schoolboy Dual National Championships.

Competing as part of Team Oklahoma Red, alongside fellow Team BIG wrestlers Christian Forbes and Cougar Andersen, Young was one of the most crucial members of the team, going undefeated in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle.

On day one of Greco, the Oklahoma Outlaws dominated Team Idaho, winning eleven of seventeen matches for a 53-23 victory. Young defeated Christopher Martino 10-0 in his match. In the next dual, however, it was Team Washington with the edge on Oklahoma. Young won a 10-3 decision over Kenndyl Mobley, but Washington won ten matches for a 42-31 victory.

Thursday the Outlaws began working their way up through the consolation bracket, winning a pair of tough duals over Missouri and Utah before falling to Pennsylvania Red. The Outlaws had a 45-30 edge on Missouri, winning ten matches including a 10-0 tech fall by Young over Cody Ketchum. The Oklahoma team won eleven matches against Utah and Young picked up yet another 10-0 tech fall over Sage Mortimer for a 47-32 victory.

The Okies met their match in Pennsylvania after leading for most of the dual. It was back-and-forth for the first half and the Outlaws led by as much as 30-16 before giving up a yellow card and six straight matches for a final score of 41-29. Young won his match, however, with an 11-0 tech fall over Sheldon Seymour to remain undefeated in the tournament.

On Friday the Outlaws’ third place finish in Pool A landed them in the Bronze/Copper bracket where they swept the competition with four straight victories.

Young scored a 12-0 tech fall over Zachary Espalin, helping his team to a 44-33 win over Virginia. Next to fall was Indiana Gold 48-30 after the Okies won eleven matches, including a 10-0 tech fall by Young.

The Okies scored another dominating victory over Arizona at 51-29, winning eleven matches yet again. Young continued to breeze through his competition with his sixth-straight shutout tech fall, this time over Nathan Bigelow.

In the finals, the Outlaws got another rematch against Utah and once again came out with the advantage, winning ten matches for a final score of 43-34. Young continued his streak with a 11-0 victory over Mortimer.

The Oklahoma team claimed first in the Bronze/Copper Pool, placing them at ninth in the nation out of thirty-two teams. Three Team Oklahoma wrestlers earned All-American status in Greco, including Young with a final record of 9-0.

In Freestyle the boys did even better, placing seventh out of thirty-five teams.

In round one the Outlaws smoked Tennessee 60-20, losing only four matches while resting Young. The Sandite returned to action in the next round in a 58-19 domination of Utah and Young beat Mortimer for the third time that week 10-0.

Young sat out round three as the Outlaws easily handled Colorado Blue 56-18, and returned to action in the Pool A finals. He defeated Bob Houpt 10-0, but team finally lost their first dual of the tournament 48-27 to Washington.

In the true-second dual Oklahoma earned their way into the Gold/Silver bracket with a 48-29 victory over Missouri, including another 10-0 win over Ketchum from Young.

Young received a forfeit from Illinois in the first round of the Gold Pool as his team won 48-27.

His streak of seven-straight tech falls finally came to an end in a close match with Jett Strickenberger. Young got the 10-6 decision, but Colorado Red defeated the Okies 48-30.

Young didn’t wrestle against New Jersey in the next round, and it may have made the difference as the Outlaws fell 41-38, including a loss in the 77 pound position that Young normally occupies.

In the seventh place match against Arizona, he returned to action with a 10-0 tech fall over Nathan Bigelow and the Oklahoma team finished seventh overall.

Young is currently riding a twenty-two-straight winning streak and a 65-5 record for the year. He was also named an All-American in Freestyle.

This story was originally published in the Sandite Pride News Weekly Sunday edition.

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